A Special Tribute To Dads Who Cook

Wollf left a comment on my food blog which opened the door for many wonderful memories to walk across my mind today. I had great fun reliving food experiences with my Dad.

He worked six days a week, and had a quick breakfast on these days; but on his day off (Sundays) he liked to cook. He would start out by putting coffee on to perk and then prepare himself some bacon and eggs. This tradition continued long after we all married and left home. When we vacationed at home, many of us would make sure we were up out of bed in time to have breakfast cooked for us by Dad.

After breakfast, he would throw together a batch of whole wheat rolls to serve with the roast beef he was going to cook for Sunday dinner.

Shortly before I got married, he started making clam chowder for supper on Friday nights. I was the only other person in the house who would eat clam chowder, so he would make a small batch for the two of us. For many months after I got married, I would walk back up home on Friday nights just to join him for chowder night.

In later years he started having some Saturdays off and he got into making pizza or lasagne or sweet and sour spareribs; but those memories belong to some of the younger children. I know about them but was rarely there to be a part of them.

We seem to take for granted those endless meals our mothers prepare for us while treasuring the few that our fathers prepare.

My second husband endeared himself to my grown daughter and two granddaughters by cooking them their own special pancakes every now and then shaped in their initials. They felt so loved every time he did this for them.

And until he died, Christmas mornings were special because he and my son would cook breakfast for us "womenfolk". Needless to say, it became the most special breakfast of the year.

Bet you Dads didn't realize what long-lasting memories you are creating in the kitchen.

Blossoming

"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

A friend shared those words with me yesterday from her Daily Reading book. I find them beautiful; and they say exactly where I am in my journey through life.

I do not know why I spent 59 years in hiding. All I know is that I can't stay there one second longer. As challenging as I find some of those moments to be without all the props I spent my life hiding behind, it is just no longer an option.

Seeking The Sacred

I tend to avoid book studies that just want to look at books from an intellectual point of view. We can get lost in our thinking mind way too easily. I have, however, had the good fortune to be a part of two or three book studies that were well worth the time and effort that went in to them.

Right now I am part of a group that is looking at "Seeking The Sacred" (Leading a Spiritual Life in a Secular World). The chapter we were looking at this week was written by Marion Woodman and the question that raised the most discussion was "What do you think the difference is between spirit and soul?"

It did not take us long to be completely bogged down as each of our thinking minds took us down mind-boggling paths that were increasingly complicated, complex and confusing. After I gave up trying to think of an answer for what each of these words means to me - with my thinking mind(Egoic) out of the way - my nonthinking (Creative) mind was then freed up to give me an image for the soul. And what came to me, interestingly enough, was a kernel of corn inside of an onion. From the moment of conception, each negative or unloving life experience adds another layer to the onion. Each loving or compassionate life experience takes away a layer of the onion.

My dream that night gave me a working image of the spirit - an abandoned vehicle. While the soul does not leave the body until death - the spirit, which is energy, can choose to abandon the body (where the heart resides) and live in the head (mind). Furthermore, we can be unaware that we have done this. Or becoming aware, we are not sure how to reverse it.

Anyone else want to take on this challenge and enlighten me further?

Connection

We came together at a book study - knowing each other only well enough to say "hello" to.

We had each walked very different paths up until then.

She was very Conscious, Aware, Responsible and Effective in the outside world.

I was very Conscious, Aware, Responsible and Effective in my inner world.

I had just reached the point in my life's journey where I was willing to see what I could do in the outside world - coming fully from Self rather than under the guise of all the different roles I had played in my lifetime.

I got the impression from different things she said that she was at the point in her life journey where she thinking of exploring her inner world a little more deeply.

Present one to the other - two very seemingly different people - not so different after all - just coming at life from different directions.

That momentary connection was powerful. Stimulating. Life-giving.

Being Present to the moment is not something we give a lot of thought or awareness to until someone like Eckhart Tolle comes along reminding you of the importance of being Present.

Sometimes we are enjoying the moment so much that we are fully Present to it. Other times we only half give ourselves to the moment - being occupied with other thoughts that are consuming us.

My memories are taking me back to many familiar moments. Interesting that even now, after all these years, I can pinpoint which ones I was fully Present to and which ones were marred by my unavailability. Moments I wish I could do over and be Present to. That not being possible, all I can do is focus on not letting any more opportunities for Connection pass me by.

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway

I have started over so many times in my life - in one way or another. And each time I started over, I had to deal with that element of fear.

Where does that fear come from? What's behind it? Do I really need to know?

Or do I just need to feel the fear - and do it anyway!